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Arizona Gold Mines and districts

Arizona Gold Mines and Districts

The rise of Arizona gold mines started in 1774, and the state has produced 17 million troy ounces (498 tons) of gold so far. The last big gold mine to operate in Arizona was Gold Road located at Oatman, which ceased operation in 1998. However, explorations are still active today and gold still can be found as a byproduct of copper mining. In 2006, all gold production in Arizona came as a byproduct of copper mining.

Despite the absence of large-scale gold exploration, there are still many places where some smaller Arizona gold mines and placers can yield decent yields:

Yavapai County

Lynx Creek District: placer deposits make up the majority of gold production from this area.

Rich Hill District: this place has long history of large gold nugget discoveries.

Big Bug District: most gold recovered from the district has come from lode deposits.

Jerome District: the largest gold-producing district in Arizona.

Mohave County

San Francisco District: this district has produced more than 2 million ounces of gold thus far.

Maynard Mining District: the gold from this area has been in wire-shaped specimens.

Cochise County

Dos Cabezas District: both placers and lode deposits can be found in the area.

Bisbee District: almost all gold recovered from the district came as byproduct, but it is the largest gold producer in the county.

Huachuca District: large gold nuggets of considerable size have been found here.

Yuma County

Dome District: the place has been explored in large scale since 1858.

Castle Dome District: most productions have come from lode deposits.

La Paz District: gold has only been found in recent years using metal detectors.

Plomosa District: gold placers produce most of the gold.

Maricopa County

Vulture District: lode has made most of the gold productions in the district.

San Damingo and Hassayampa

Gold has been found all across the state of Arizona, but most of it is a byproduct of copper mining. While there are no big commercial-scale Arizona gold mines today, some believe that placers are still waiting to be found. It’s best to buy an Arizona gold claims map to boost your chances as the location of gold claims usually gets you closest to the gold. And also remember the biggest challenge with prospecting in Arizona is the lack of water, so metal detectors are a good piece of equipment to use here in the state. If you are an adventurous person don’t forget to carry one while you are out prospecting. Even if you don’t find gold during your outdoor adventure, at least you get to enjoy beauty of the desert and experience the excitement gold prospecting just like prospectors did decades ago.